Next Week's Game Has Meaning

ETHAN J. SKOLNICK COMMENTARY

The record books don't keep track of adversity, so it can be remembered into perpetuity. They don't apply asterisks for resiliency.

They give you one grade for your season, and that grade is defined only by how many you win and lose.

After Sunday's dispiriting 27-20 loss to the Houston Texans, which included one of the flattest first halves you'll see from a team with something at stake, the 2009 Dolphins are now a losing team.

That's not how they should want to enter the offseason.

So next week's game, on the first Sunday of 2010, does have meaning, even if it is highly unlikely to result in a playoff berth.

It won't mean as much as acquiring inside linebackers who can cover and tackle, or adding some offensive playmakers. Still, after all the progress made in 2008 to purge the Davie facility of the losing culture, it will be a lot easier to swallow .500 as an encore. That won't be seen as a significant step back. 7-9? That's something different.

"We will go out there, play our tails off against Pittsburgh," Tony Sparano said.

They better. Someone once said that you are what your record says you are. If the Dolphins turn tail, their record will say they're losers.

Henne not a finished product

Chad Henne wasn't supposed to be starting in 2009, particularly during a playoff chase. He wasn't supposed to be averaging 50.5 passes, as he has in the past two losses - stuck in deep early deficits.

So every criticism comes with a caveat.

He has shown enough promise in his 12 starts, seven of which he's won, to secure the job entering the offseason. He has also shown warts that require attention. Start with his touch, which is sometimes there and sometimes not. On Sunday, several passes sailed high and wide in calm conditions.

"We knew he had a pretty good arm, and he has good pocket presence," Texans defensive end Antonio Smith said. "He doesn't panic and he tries to make throws, but we also knew with him doing it, he was going to hold the ball."

That's another area to continue refining: keeping plays alive without putting himself in jeopardy. And, as Henne develops, he'll hopefully earn the trust and authority to audible to plays with a better chance of success against specific looks.

We can talk all day about what the Dolphins need this offseason. To consistently compete in a conference that includes Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers and even Matt Schaub, no roster addition matters as much as what Henne adds to his game.

Defense takes blame for debacle

Never were.

Used to be.

Not yet.

One of those three descriptions fits too many players on the Dolphins, who are simply too short on blue-chip players in their prime. That's why it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that, even before giving up 27 by halftime Sunday, the Dolphins ranked 24th in points allowed. That's what happens when you allow 8.2 yards per pass attempt, tied for worst with the Raiders, and just ahead of mighty Cleveland, Detroit and St. Louis.

That is why the Dolphins will miss the playoffs this season, even though they are likely to finish in the NFL's top half in points scored, a feat accomplished in spite of the season-ending injuries to the starting quarterback and running back.

The Dolphins' defense has done one thing reasonably well, even after the loss of Jason Ferguson.

"We thought it would be very difficult to run the ball against them," Houston coach Gary Kubiak said.

Then someone named Arian Foster averaged 5.1 yards on 19 carries. Some will attribute that to the in-game loss of Channing Crowder. But, with this unit, it always seems to be something.

Talk about the offense all you want. In 2009, the defense did the Dolphins in.